N6 (Accra–Kumasi Highway)
Accra to Nkawkaw by road
About 140 km on the N6 from Accra to Nkawkaw, the gateway to the Kwahu ridge and roughly halfway to Kumasi — usually 2½ to 3½ hours.
- Distance
- 141 km
- By car
- 2½–3½ hours
- Main road
- N6 (Accra–Kumasi Highway)
Driving from Accra to Nkawkaw
The whole trip is on the N6 towards Kumasi. Leaving Accra you head north-west through Ofankor and Nsawam, then climb through the forest towns of the Eastern Region: Suhum, Bunso and Anyinam.
Nkawkaw sits at the foot of the Kwahu ridge and is where most travellers on the Accra–Kumasi road take a break. The N6 now passes the town on a bypass, so turn off if you want to stop in the centre.
As on the rest of the N6, the slow part is getting out of Accra past Ofankor and Nsawam. After Nsawam the road is faster, but slow trucks and single-lane stretches can hold you up.
By bus or trotro
Buses and trotros heading to Kumasi stop at Nkawkaw, and there are also direct vehicles from Accra's main lorry stations such as Neoplan at Kwame Nkrumah Circle. They leave when full, so the wait varies.
From Nkawkaw, local transport goes up the Kwahu ridge to towns such as Atibie and Nkwatia.
New to trotros? Read how to ride a trotro. Fares change often, so check at the station before you travel. For live directions — by car, bus, motorbike, bicycle or on foot — open Nkawkaw on the Lincoln Navigation map. It shows road hazards other drivers have reported and the weather along the way.
Tips for the trip
- Leave Accra before 6 a.m. to miss the worst of the Ofankor–Nsawam traffic.
- Nkawkaw is the usual halfway stop for food, fuel and toilets if you are driving on to Kumasi.
- Traffic to the Kwahu ridge is heavy over Easter, when many people travel for the Kwahu festivities; allow extra time.